UN Representative: By 2030, pressure on urban water resources will increase

By 2030, the pressure on water resources in cities around the world will continue to grow.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to Report, this was stated by the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Water Retno Marsudi at the Global Water Operators' Partnerships Alliance (GWOPA) Assembly within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.

According to her, the global problem of access to water and sanitation services remains pressing: "In the world, 2.2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and 3.5 billion people lack access to safe sanitation services."

Nevertheless, she noted that progress has been made in this area: "Since 2015, 961 million people have gained access to safe drinking water, 1.2 billion to safe sanitation, and 1.6 billion to basic hygiene services."

Marsudi also noted that urbanization is increasing pressure on water resources.

"Half of the world's 100 largest cities are already facing high levels of water scarcity. By 2030, more than 60% of the world's population will live in cities, which will place additional pressure on urban water resources. In this context, water operators and utility services play a key role as the foundation of collective efforts in the water sector," she emphasized.